Le Pen claims the French presidential election is actually a choice between her and Angela Merkel

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published 3 May 2017

Marine Le Pen, France's far-right presidential candidate, pulled out a snappy line against centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron in a head-to-head presidential debate Wednesday evening. Le Pen, claiming Macron will cave to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's will if he is elected, argued the contest was really a choice between which of two women would lead France: Either her or Merkel.

Macron was incensed by the remark. The debate, which The New York Times described as "vicious," also touched on France's 20th-century history and on Islamic extremism. Le Pen painted Macron as a "candidate of savage globalization," while Macron cast Le Pen as "the heir to an ugly far-right tradition in France," the Times reported.

The candidates will face off Sunday in a runoff election that will determine France's next president. Polls predict Macron will win with 60 percent of the vote.